Leeds United have less than a week to prepare for their opening day clash with Portsmouth in the Championship at Elland Road on Saturday.
They will be lining up without the league's reigning Player of the Year after Crysencio Summerville's transfer to West Ham United was officially confirmed on Saturday.
The Whites have cashed in on Archie Gray, who moved to Tottenham Hotspur, and Glen Kamara, who left to sign for Rennes, alongside the Dutch forward during the summer transfer window so far.
Daniel Farke has, however, been able to bring in Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, and Joe Rothwell to bolster his squad across the pitch.
There is still a number of weeks left before the window slams shut for business and this means that Leeds could make further signings to improve the team, with the aim of building a side that is ready to compete for promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
The West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly looking to make another addition to their midfield ranks as they target a youngster from the top-flight.
Leeds register interest in Premier League teen
According to Football Insider, Leeds have registered a formal interest in Liverpool central midfielder Bobby Clark as they look to land the teenage starlet this summer.
The report claims that the Whites have made a move to sign the England U20 international on a season-long loan from the Premier League giants.
It states that Liverpool are more likely to sanction a loan exit from the talented whiz, rather than allowing him to leave permanently, amid interest from Austrian side RB Salzburg.
Football Insider adds that fellow Championship teams Sheffield United and Norwich City are also interested in signing Clark on a season-long loan.
Both clubs are said to be preparing formal offers to land the midfield whiz and it may come down to where Liverpool feel his development is best served.
However, it remains to be seen where the Reds would prefer him to go or where the player himself sees himself playing in the 2024/25 campaign.
This means that it is unclear as to how likely Leeds are to win the race for his services before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.
If the Whites can come out on top and bring the former Newcastle United youngster to Elland Road, though, then he could be Farke's own version of Mateusz Klich.
Why Mateusz Klich was a key player for Leeds
Marcelo Bielsa's arrival in Yorkshire in the summer of 2018 was a blessing for the club and the players, none more so than the Polish central midfielder.
He had spent the second half of the previous campaign on loan with FC Utrecht in the Netherlands after mustering up just five Championship appearances in the first half.
Bielsa came through the door ahead of the 2018/19 season and clearly saw something he liked in Klich, as the midfield battler was immediately made a key player for him.
Starts
46
Goals
10
Assists
8
Big chances created
9
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.1
As you can see in the table above, the Polish ace started every single game in the regular season before the Whites missed out on promotion via the play-offs.
The right-footed maestro chipped in with 18 direct goal contributions along the way as he showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a midfield role.
Klich followed that up with six goals and five assists in 45 appearances as Leeds won the Championship title the following term, which shows that he remained an important member of the team during a promotion season.
It was then a question of whether or not he could handle the step up to the Premier League and the Poland international answered that in emphatic fashion, with four goals and five assists in 35 outings as the Whites landed a top-half finish in the division.
Overall, the central midfielder, who now plays for D.C United in the MLS, was a key player during the peak years of Bielsa's reign due to his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from midfield – providing a big attacking threat from that role.
Why Bobby Clark could be Mateusz Klich 2.0
Clark could come in as Farke's own version of Klich, as an attacking force from a midfield position, if he can enjoy a breakthrough season at first-team level after a smattering of senior appearances for Liverpool last term.
The 19-year-old star, who is reportedly valued at £12m by the Reds, has played 14 games for the Premier League giants and chipped in with one goal and two assists.
He caught the eye with one goal and one assist in two Europa League outings for Jurgen Klopp, which showed that the quality is there for him to impact matches at a high level.
Clark, who was described as "exciting" by reporter Lee Ryder, has the ability to make things happen at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, which is also evidenced by his superb form for Liverpool's academy teams.
Appearances
27
37
14
Goals
13
5
1
Assists
5
6
2
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds target racked up 18 goals and 11 assists for the club's U18 and U21 sides combined as a central midfielder.
This shows that he loves to get forward to make a difference in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals, just like Klich did for the Whites under Bielsa.
It would be a gamble of a move from Leeds, however, as Clark has yet to prove his quality on a consistent basis at first-team level to date, but Klopp handing him plenty of opportunities last term speaks to his potential – as the German boss clearly deemed him ready to play in the Premier League and the Europa League.
Imagine him & Rutter: Leeds eyeing swoop for "prolific" £5.9k-p/w star
The Whites are on the hunt to replace Crysencio Summerville this month.
ByDan EmeryAug 4, 2024
It is now down to the club and Farke to convince Liverpool and Clark that a move to Elland Road is the best next step in his development for the 2024/25 campaign.